The soldiers nearby began talking among themselves.
“This beast was really hard to catch this time. We hid in the mountains for several days before we finally managed to get it!”
“Exactly! Luckily, the captain found the animal’s droppings and followed the trail. That’s how we managed to take down this bear!”
“Don’t even mention it. That beast was incredibly strong. One swipe nearly cost me my life!”
“If it weren’t for the captain’s shot, you’d have been a dead man by now. Don’t be so reckless next time!”
“Hehe!”
Qin Yue’e stood nearby, her heart pounding harder with every word.
She turned to look at the thing lying in the corner and couldn’t help feeling a chill run through her.
A huge bear, almost like a small mountain, lay dead there. Its body, stretched between two wooden frames, was roughly as tall as a person.
Its blackish-gray fur was coarse like heavy canvas. There was a deep gash across its abdomen, and blood had pooled beneath its body like a shallow stream.
Huo Guangji hadn’t appeared for the past few days.
Could he really have gone deep into the mountains just to hunt this bear?
“What are you looking at?”
Huo Guangji’s deep voice suddenly sounded beside Qin Yue’e’s ear, startling her.
“Nothing… I wasn’t looking at anything…”
Her eyes darted away before she suddenly remembered the wound on his shoulder.
“You’re injured?”
Huo Guangji didn’t seem to care.
“Just a minor injury.”
“Did you get it treated?”
“It’s not necessary.”
“Then… should I help you bandage it?”
After thinking about it, Qin Yue’e cautiously made the suggestion.
After all, he had treated her wound before. Returning the favor shouldn’t be a problem, right?
Huo Guangji stared at her for a while. He had originally intended to refuse.
But for some reason, he nodded.
“Then let’s go.”
The two children were happily playing with Wei Wenjie, so Qin Yue’e didn’t call them over. Instead, she took Huo Guangji back to her room.
This was the first time the two of them had ever been alone together in the same room.
As soon as they entered, Huo Guangji took off his shirt.
The muscles across his bare back were broad and well-defined. A wound stretched from the back of his neck down toward his back.
Qin Yue’e’s heart tightened at the sight.
“This wound is pretty deep. You should really go to the infirmary and get an injection.”
Her cool fingers gently held a cotton swab soaked in medicine and touched his back.
The contact sent a strange shiver through her.
“Did the bear claw you?”
“Mm.”
His reply was slightly hoarse.
Suddenly, he reached out and grabbed Qin Yue’e’s hand.
“Ah!”
Qin Yue’e jumped.
“What are you doing?”
Being alone in a room with a man and woman, she suddenly regretted coming here.
What if this guy suddenly got carried away?
The problem was, if he really did something, she technically had no reason to refuse him.
After all, they were legally married.
His deep eyes remained fixed on Qin Yue’e’s face for a moment before he casually smiled.
“What are you afraid of? You were treating the wrong spot. It’s here.”
Huo Guangji took her hand and guided it toward another part of his shoulder.
Only then did Qin Yue’e notice another wound.
It wasn’t particularly noticeable from the outside, but when she looked closely, the inside was shocking.
A sharp thorn was still lodged beneath his skin.
Just looking at it made her wince.
“Hold on. I’ll pull the thorn out first.”
Qin Yue’e hurriedly searched through the room for a sewing needle.
After finding one, she heated it over the kerosene lamp before carefully using it to remove the thorn from Huo Guangji’s shoulder.
She stared at the thorn in her hand.
It was nearly half a finger’s length.
That must have hurt terribly when it was being pulled out.
Yet this man hadn’t made a single sound.
“Is it done?”
The man sitting with his back to her finally asked.
“It’s done.”
Qin Yue’e quietly let out a breath of relief and dropped the thorn into the basin of water.
When she turned around, the man in front of her had already stood up, bare-chested.
His broad arm suddenly came down toward her.
What was he doing?!
His strong masculine scent brushed against the tip of her nose, making her head spin.
She hurriedly tried to stop him.
“Don’t… It’s broad daylight, don’t…”
But Huo Guangji simply stretched his long arm past her and picked up his jacket from the stool, draping it over himself.
“Don’t what?”
He raised an eyebrow.
Qin Yue’e’s face instantly heated up.
She quickly shook her head.
“Nothing! The children are still at the mess hall. I’ll go check on them!”
She practically fled from the room.
Huo Guangji remained where he was, watching her retreating figure with a quiet smile.
So this woman could get embarrassed too.
He had always thought she could stubbornly hold her ground against anyone.
A huge pot of badger meat was already boiling.
The pale meat rolled in the bubbling water mixed with white liquor.
Zou Zhengping was personally in charge of the cooking. He stirred the enormous pot with a large iron ladle while laughing.
“Badger meat isn’t like pork. It has a stronger smell. Luckily, I managed to sneak over all the white liquor our company commander didn’t finish. We’ll blanch the meat properly first, then I’ll throw in some soybeans when we fry it. I guarantee it’ll taste almost as rich as pork fat!”
“Hey, Deputy Director Zou, you’re really something when it comes to cooking! That meat already looks delicious. Can I have a bowl of the blanching water later to satisfy my craving?”
A young soldier crouched beside the stove, feeding the fire while staring hungrily at the pot. He was practically drooling.
“You brat! Wait a little longer. That water smells awful and is full of that gamey odor. How could you drink it? Once the fat comes out, I’ll give you a bowl of it to mix with your rice!”
Zou Zhengping laughed as he scolded him.
Seeing everyone working so enthusiastically, Qin Yue’e felt embarrassed about standing around doing nothing.
She went back into the kitchen, washed the rice and vegetables, and steamed two huge pots of mixed-grain rice.
Once the meat was ready, everyone would be able to eat immediately.
After finishing her work and coming back outside, the huge pot for rendering the fat was already surrounded by people.
It seemed the fat had already been rendered.
When Wei Wenjie saw Qin Yue’e return, she quickly brought over two large bowls and handed one to her.
Inside were golden-brown crispy bits of rendered fat, sprinkled with salt and pepper.
The smell alone was enough to make one’s mouth water.
“Sister-in-law! The two children are eating with me. You eat too! Look how crispy these cracklings are!”
Qin Yue’e looked over.
Qingfeng and Zhuyue already had their mouths covered in grease. Like two little piglets, each child held a small bowl and stuffed the steaming crispy pieces into their mouths.
Qin Yue’e laughed happily and picked two pieces from Wei Wenjie’s bowl.
The crispy, rich cracklings exploded with the aroma of salt and pepper in her mouth.
They tasted even more fragrant than pork, with a unique flavor she couldn’t quite describe.
After days without enough oil or fat, the food instantly comforted her empty stomach.
She ate nearly half a bowl before finally stopping.
Wei Wenjie looked a little surprised. Thinking Qin Yue’e was trying to save the food for the children, she quickly encouraged her.
“Sister-in-law, eat up! The children have plenty over here. Don’t save it for them! Little Huo brought back such a huge bear this time. We have enough meat to eat for nearly half a month!”